Do plants need fertilizer to stay alive?

Answer 1

In general, all fertilizing does is bring nutrients needed by plants closer to their roots. For plants like radishes or any type of tree, no fertilizer is needed because they have sufficient roots which can reach deeper into the soil and find the nutrients they need. Other plants like tomatoes will benefit from fertilizing. Generally, fertilized plants will do better in any situation and yield more growth.

The above answer is slightly misleading.

The nutrients must be in the soil before roots can take them up. An established tree with a mature root-ball will have exhausted the available feeding and to continue normal growth will need some supplements.

When planting young plants a light dressing of general fertiliser applied to the soil before planting is beneficial.

Answer 2

Yes. Commercially available fertilizers have 3 numbers on the label, e.g. 10-8-3, that indicate how much Nitrogen ('10' in the example), Phosphorus ('8') and Potassium ('3') are in the fertilizer. This number is often referred to as N-P-K, the letters assigned to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the periodic table.

Answer 3

Indeed they can, depending on what type of fertilizer and what plant. I recommend looking at some specialist gardening sites for information on fertilizer and what to use it for.

Answer 4

Fertilizer does help plant growth it helps the plants to get the vitamins and nutrients it needs.

Answer 5

No, plants do not need fertiliser, but it certainly helps give them the butrients and minerals they do require.

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Answer 6

A fertilizer is used to replace nutrients that the plant has used up.

Answer 7

Its good to use fertilizer at least once a year on indoor plants to keep them healthy.